Insider Predicts Humongous Oilers' Connor McDavid Contract Extension

As speculation around Connor McDavid’s next contract intensifies, TSN analyst Frank Corrado offered his prediction on the potential value of the Oilers captain’s upcoming deal now that we know the amount of money Edmonton had to pony up to secure Leon Draisaitl to a long-term deal.

With Draisaitl’s eight-year, $112 million extension setting a new benchmark and making the German center the highest-paid player in the NHL on an average annual value basis ($14 million cap hit), McDavid is next in line to put pen to paper.

McDavid, however, still has a couple of seasons left in his contract and won't be eligible to sign an extension until July 2025. He'll be entering the final year of his own eight-year, $100 million contract then, and he is expected to secure the largest contract in NHL history.

Appearing on TSN's "That's Hockey" segment on September 9 , Corrado predicted that McDavid's next contract could carry an average annual value (AAV) of $16 million.

This figure, he explained, would equate to approximately 17.3% of the projected $92 million salary cap for the 2025–26 season. For comparison, Draisaitl’s extension accounts for 15.9% of the current $88 million cap.

"Seventeen percent of the cap is higher than what Leon Draisaitl signed for," Corrado said. "It still gives Connor McDavid plenty more money, although that is not going to be the determining factor when McDavid does his deal.

"The determining factor is going to be how can I stay here for a long time and win here for a long time."

While McDavid is expected to earn a historic contract, Corrado noted that the Oilers' success in securing a Stanley Cup before his deal is finalized could influence negotiations and the final figure.

“Keeping in mind the spirit of this team trying to win a Stanley Cup, and if they don’t get that done, especially before (re-signing McDavid) gets done, he’s going to have to be cognizant of leaving a little bit of money on the board,” Corrado said.

All things considered, Corrado also made clear that McDavid "is not going to get $20 (million)," as some fans expected him to do, becoming the first NHL player to break the $20-million barrier on an AAV basis.